Name/Title
Felipe Ramirez (Mexico)Entry/Object ID
TNA.14Description
I was supposed to be born here. My mom had legal status, but wasn't a citizen. She was pregnant when she went on vacation to Mexico. Then I popped out early. I was born in a place where we had no family, no connection.
My whole life, except for the first few weeks, has been here. I was raised in Orange County. When I was 19, I got in trouble with the law. Small mistakes can make a big difference. When I realized the mistake, I thought, there goes all my hopes. All this time, I've been in limbo. But my wife researched it and she said, "We can clear this up."
But to become a citizen, I knew I had to take a test. That made me nervous because my reading wasn't good. I did adult literacy classes. My whole life here I never felt good enough to say I could be an American. That's on me. But once I got that confidence, I went for it. That's why today is so exciting. It's excitement you can't explain, because you've accomplished something really big.Collection
Sam Comen